lenher



G. H. LENHER. SEWING MACHINE SHUTTLE.

Patented Nov 27, 1866.

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IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINE SH 'UTTLES.

J GEORGE H. LENBZ ER, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA,

y LetteraPatentNo. 60.021 dated Norember27,1866.-

SPECIFICATION- TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: l Be it" known that I, GEoRGE H. LENHER, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico, and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shuttles for Sewing-Machine s; and I do hereby declare that, the following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in

which- Figure 1 is'a top view of a shuttle made according to my invention.

Figure 2 is across-section taken lengthwise through the shuttle, and exposing the axis of its bobbin.-

One of the objects of this invention is to prevent the twisting of the thread of a rotating shuttle, and in order to prevent such twisting, I place the bobbin at one side of the centre of motion of the shuttle, and make a it free to be revolved on its own axis by the pull on its thread in the operations of sewing; anotherobject is to provide an adjustable tension upon the bobbin thread, and this is brought about by the pressure of a spring whose free end bears'against the inner side of the bobbin.

r A is-a block which supports the rotating shuttle, 0; one side of this block has acircular, depression, B, in which the shuttle and its appurtenances are placed. Upon the bottom of this depression is placeda circular plate or disk, E, which isattached at its centre on its inner side to a shaft, J, that is driven by means of a crank, K. The

shuttle, G; is-heldin plaeein the depression, B, so that the pa'th pursued by the tx ose of the shuttle shall always be close to the sides of the depression, by'two horns, D D,.rising from the plate, E, at the same side of the line of its greatest width, The bobbin, F, is sunk in a cavity in the upper side of theshuttle, and is fitted to revolve upon a collar, 11-, extending from the bottom of the, cavity, the centre of the bobbin setting over the collar, and the bobbin itself being held in place in the shuttle by a screw, G, which screws into the said collar. The under side of the shuttle has a recess,.O, which is sunk a little beyond the plane of the bottom of the cavity in which the bobbin rotates. To the bottom of the cavity, 0, by means of a set-screw, I fix a flat spring, I, whose free end extends along the inner side of the bobbin, and nearly across its diameter, the spring, I, having a hole made through it, so that it can set over the collar, h. This spring is slightly deflected from a planesui'face, so that it may bear with an elastic pressure against the side of the bobbin, producing tension on thebobbin thread by forcing the bobbin against the head of the screw-pin, G. The thread proceeds from beneath the outer flange of the bobbin, over the side of the shuttle, to the needle hole, P, through which it passes in an upward direction. The thread is'wound on the bobbin in a direction contrary to the direction of motion of the shuttle, and it therefore results that the slack thread will be always taken up during and by means of the rotation of the shuttle, so long as the bobbin itself is held stationary by the spring, I. When the pull on the thread is suflicient to overcome the force of this spring, the bobbin will be rotated, and so furnish just enough thread, for a new stitch,

and when the feed becomes stationary, the rotation of the bobbin and the delivery of the thread cease. There fore no excess of slack is made in the shuttle thread by reason of the free rotation of the bobbin. The tension on the shuttle thread can be'increased and decreased at pleasure and with facility by screwing the bobbin closer upon the spring, I. A lubricated packing may be placed between the bobbin and the spring to prevent it too much wear of the parts. This manner of constructing and arranging the bobbin and shuttle, moreover, prevents the shuttle thread from being alternately twisted and untwisted during the rotation of theshuttle, as is commonly done in the ordinary rotary shuttles, and which action forms a serious objection to rotary shuttles for sewing-machines. In myshuttle and bobbin, the twist whichwould be put on the thread by the rotary I motion of the shuttle is prevented by placing the bobbin eccentrically in theshuttle, and by the manner and direction of winding its thread. When the bobbin is carried tothe side furthest from theneedle hole, P, its thread is wound off, because the bobbin is then proceeding away from the place where the thread is held fast, and since the thread in winding of turns the bobbin in a direction contrary to the direction of motion of the, shuttle, the twist which would be made in the thread by the rotation of the shuttle is compensated, When the bobbin has passed the point of greatest distance from the needle hole, 1?, the slack thread is taken up by being wound around the bobbin, which becomes stationary on its axis so soon as it has passed the point of its greatest throw, and so permits the rotation of the shuttle to bring the thread around it again, thereby preventing the slack thread from becominguntwisted. I v

What I.claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. In rotating shuttles for sewing-machines, winding and unwinding the shuttle thread so as to prevent it from being twisted and. untw 'isted during the l evolution s of the-shuttle,

by arranging the bobbin eccentrically to the centre of motion of the shuttle, sub stantially as shown;

2. The arrangement of the spring I, collar k, bobbin F,

screw G, sbuttl G, and plate E, constructed and operating in the manner and fol: the purpose herein specified.

, GEO. H. LENHER. Witnesses: 4

A. McGURDEY,. Gno w. S12E11 

